Top 4 countries?

Exarz

Registered User
Jan 1, 2014
2,415
339
Helsinki
Obviously 2018 doesn't count unless you're going to tell me KHLers vs College kids is best on best. lol
"KHLers vs College kids" yeah the US had three NCAA players, and all of them already played in the NHL this season. Come on, don't make it sound like the team was made up completely by amateurs.
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BL92

Double Gold
May 22, 2016
2,096
1,201
Finland
Russia is a notorious choker when it comes to best-on-best tournaments. Finland has a way better track record in the recent years with a way weaker roster, but Finland is catching up fast in that department too. Thus Finland is in Top 4 and not Russia.
 
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Kyndig

Registered User
Jan 3, 2012
5,147
2,862
"KHLers vs College kids" yeah the US had three NCAA players, and all of them already played in the NHL this season. Come on, don't make it sound like the team was made up completely by amateurs.

Yeah and the college kids were the best players! Look at all those other players on that list, I'm sure people will be lining up to get them onto an NHL contract ASAP! My point stands, it was a farce.
 

Ducks76

Registered User
Oct 15, 2017
514
135
Okay my prediction in next 5 Years:

1. Canada
2. USA
3. Finland/Sweden
 

Peiskos

Registered User
Jan 4, 2018
3,665
3,614
Personally I don't see the US inside the top 4, top 5 yes. They haven't even reached the IIHF final in nearly 60 years.

It might be a wildly unpopular opinion around these parts but we must take into account that the US is the only major hockey playing country that has yet to win a gold medal at the mens level in this current century...its a fact that for some reason isn't talked about very often.

1996 was a long time ago. Every major country has won at least one mens level tournament in the 21st century, US has not. Even Slovakia has won a mens tournament more recently than the US has.

For me this is a major roadblock in awarding the US the right to call themselves a "top 4" country, I mean top 4 has to have some prestige doesn't it?

You can have all the success in the world at the junior levels but until USA Hockey produces a gold medal at the mens level they don't rise above #5 in my books.

1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. Russia
4. Finland
5. USA

Russia and Finland are interchangeable IMO. Canada is the indisputable #1 by a large margin, nobody yet has the ability to legitimately push Canada at a best vs best tournament and Canada's 4th line at such tournaments are still either on par or better than everyone else's 1st line. 1998 and 2006 being outliers of course, but medal table clearly showing Canada unstoppable at best vs best level.
 
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Jez

Registered User
Jun 6, 2017
69
52
New York
If you look at Finland and the US best-on-best rosters and have the Finns above the americans...I don’t think you are being objective.

Realistically Finland has 5 or 6 players who would make the US roster. It is the weakest country of the big 5. You can think what you want about tolvanen or Heiskanen but they haven’t proved anything in the NHL.

Now, if you think they play better team hockey alright I can hear that argument - mainly because USAH can’t build a roster. Doesn’t make them the better hockey nation though.

IMO:

Canada
Sweden
Russia/USA
 
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Conspiracy Theorist

Registered User
Jan 30, 2016
5,636
1,882
If you look at Finland and the US best-on-best rosters and have the Finns above the americans...I don’t think you are being objective.

Realistically Finland has 5 or 6 players who would make the US roster. It is the weakest country of the big 5. You can think what you want about tolvanen or Heiskanen but they haven’t proved anything in the NHL.

Now, if you think they play better team hockey alright I can hear that argument - mainly because USAH can’t build a roster. Doesn’t make them the better hockey nation though.

IMO:

Canada
Sweden
Russia/USA
The team might look a lot different in two years. Both are trending up.
 
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Urbanskog

Platinum Member
Feb 8, 2014
3,551
765
Helsinki
If you look at Finland and the US best-on-best rosters and have the Finns above the americans...I don’t think you are being objective.

Realistically Finland has 5 or 6 players who would make the US roster. It is the weakest country of the big 5. You can think what you want about tolvanen or Heiskanen but they haven’t proved anything in the NHL.

Now, if you think they play better team hockey alright I can hear that argument - mainly because USAH can’t build a roster. Doesn’t make them the better hockey nation though.

IMO:

Canada
Sweden
Russia/USA
Yet Finland has medaled in all best-on-best Olympics except for Salt Lake City. The US has little to show for on ice, they are only strong on paper. I think it's fair to rank them at #5.
 

IceBjoern

Registered User
Feb 24, 2010
2,070
230
Stockholm
Sweden
Switzerland
USA
Canada

That’s your top four right now

Last decade:

Canada
Sweden
Russia
Finland

Overall:

Canada
Sweden
Russia
Finland

Future:

Canada
Sweden
USA
Finland
 

Hanji

Registered User
Oct 14, 2009
3,155
2,641
Wisconsin
If you look at Finland and the US best-on-best rosters and have the Finns above the americans...I don’t think you are being objective.

Realistically Finland has 5 or 6 players who would make the US roster. It is the weakest country of the big 5. You can think what you want about tolvanen or Heiskanen but they haven’t proved anything in the NHL.

Now, if you think they play better team hockey alright I can hear that argument - mainly because USAH can’t build a roster. Doesn’t make them the better hockey nation though.

IMO:

Canada
Sweden
Russia/USA

Yet Finland has medaled in all best-on-best Olympics except for Salt Lake City. The US has little to show for on ice, they are only strong on paper. I think it's fair to rank them at #5.



What is the criteria for which we calibrate "strength on paper"? International performance vs NHL performance? None of this is set in stone. A guy like Ville Peltonen was a mediocre NHLer, but was routinely better than many NHL superstars on the international stage.
 

Urbanskog

Platinum Member
Feb 8, 2014
3,551
765
Helsinki
What is the criteria for which we calibrate "strength on paper"? International performance vs NHL performance? None of this is set in stone. A guy like Ville Peltonen was a mediocre NHLer, but was routinely better than many NHL superstars on the international stage.
Well, since the question presented in the first post was "Which are the top 4 teams in men's hockey today?", international performance is all that matters, really.
 

Romkey

Registered User
Jul 24, 2011
502
616
Canada

Sweden

USA/Finland/Russia - interchangeable depending on the year. If i'm going strictly based on overall skill and talent, I'll say USA only because they are well known for developing every position. Finland produces amazing goalies and forwards, but they don't have that great of defensemen. Russia always produces great forwards and goalies, but again like Finland, don't produce the best Dmen.
 

vivalavili

Registered User
Jan 8, 2016
368
105
Helsinki
Canada

Sweden

USA/Finland/Russia - interchangeable depending on the year. If i'm going strictly based on overall skill and talent, I'll say USA only because they are well known for developing every position. Finland produces amazing goalies and forwards, but they don't have that great of defensemen. Russia always produces great forwards and goalies, but again like Finland, don't produce the best Dmen.
I disagree with the bolded. The last few years we have produced a lot of good NHL defensemen and also some really high profile prospects are coming to the NHL. The quality of the goalies has gone downhill though when our youngest of the good starters is Raanta at 29 and Saros is pretty much the only "great" prospect we have in the league rn. Rask, Raanta and Rinne can carry us for a few years still but in the next few years after that we'll have a big problem if Saros (or Husso and Kähkönen) don't turn out to be that good. Defense-wise we'll be solid for the next 15 years.
 

vivalavili

Registered User
Jan 8, 2016
368
105
Helsinki
I say:

1st Canada
2nd Sweden
3rd USA
4th Finland
5th Russia

Canada is the best. Best players in the league in each and every position play for Canada. Sweden comes near at second mostly because of their D which is superior to basically any. USA gets third because top talent wise in both D and F they have more depth than Finland and Russia. Finland and Russia come close both at 4th but I'd give a slight advantage to Finland due to us being a younger team (and homerism ofc).
 

Paris in Flames

Registered User
Feb 4, 2009
15,903
7,935
If the NHL had gone to the Olympics i have zero doubt the Americans finish ahead of Finland (though it could come down to groups and seeding I guess...)

It's Canada, Sweden, USA and Russia.

The only country there I know is in "order" is Canada.
 

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